The Portland daily press., 1887-03-05
OLD CITY HALL.
What the Monument Association
Wants.
Reply to an Address to the Citizens
OF Portland.

In behalf Of the organization which we
have the honor to represent, it becomes our
duty TO correct the errors into which some Of
our fellow citizens have fallen respecting the
plans and purposes of the Soldiers and
Sailors Monument AssOciation-error
which have been published In the news
papers and distributed from house TO house
in 'An Address to the Citizens Of Port
land"
Ii Is now more than two years since the
Monument Association instructed Its execu-
tive committee to apply to the City Govern
ment for permission to erect a monument to
the memory Of the soldiers and sailors Of
Portland who lost their lives In the war Of
the rebellion, upon the site Of Old City Hall
in Market Square. 1t is alleged in this ad-
dress that the city is asked 'to give away"
its property there. On the contrary, the
Monument Association simply asks per-
mission TO improve and beautify the prop
erty, which will still belong % the city. The
Monument Association asks permission 10
give monument TO the city, and our friends
are unwilling 10 receive It,
The Old City Hall is TO be removed, and IL
Is alleged that the city cannot afford to saerl-
nee the income from that building. 10 Is
sad that the present occupants Of the base
ment stand ready" 10 lease the whole
building for $3.50 year. We are informed
that no such proposition has been made TO
the City Government. IL Is said that the
ward room and armorieS cannot be spared
but what Is to become Of the ward room and
arnlories II tho whole building Is 10 be taken
for an agricultural warehouse?
In fact, the ward room and armOries are
not needed. A suitable ward room stands
vacant on Spring street, and building bet
ter suited for armories Is unused on Market
street City property fitted for these uses
Is now lying idle.
1t would cost $4,000 or 5000 to ct the
whole building for the use OF the present Oc-
cupants OF the basement II Is said that no
repairs have been made upon these premises;
but that Is another mistake. The building
has been painted within few years does
anybody suppose that the basement was not
painted? 1t certainly was. Within three
months the city has paid for repairing the
drainage Of the basement, which Is not con-
nected with the drainage Of the upper stories.
The printed reports Of the City Auditor show
that the average eOstpf repairs on this build
ing, for the. last five years, has been over
$3.50 annually.
In fact, it has been repeatedly proposed to
take away the Old City Hail as an eneunl-
brance, and leave the square Open, and some
OF the gentlemen who sign this addres&pro-
testing against the removal OF the hail 70
make room for soldiers monument, have
previously signed petitions asking for its
removal for no reason at all. 1t has been a
great surprise to the Monument Association,
TO find tnat this lot, so little valued before.
has now advanced 10 such enormous figures
In the estimation Of some Of their fellow
citizens On the basis OF a rental which has
u0t been offered, a possible S3,7 the value
is put at $4,000. But on that basis It could
not be over S37 800.
1t is alleged that the city Is miserably poor
cannot afford to keep the streets paved. the
school houses in repair, OF the sewers In or
der; cannot abate the Back Cove nuisance,
through physicians protest that the public
health is endangered and sanitary engineers
recommend immediate action. But all these
difficulties will be overcome, we are given TO
understand, as soon as the possible rent Of
1850 comes flowing from the Old City Hall
into the public treasury. That sum, though
diminished by the cost Of repairs, will suifice
for streets, school houses and sewers; every
thing can be done with IS, 750,Or 5000 which
Is the net income named. leaving $3.50 as the
estimated cost OF repairs,
If the city Is really In the condition of abb
Ieet poverty described, Lincoln Square
ought to be sold for house lots and the tim
Der in Deering's Oaks ought perhaps to be
marketed. In fact, the condition Of our af-
ialrs Is not nearly so desperate The city
Is slowly paving It's debts, and Is quite able
to keep Lincoln Square, and the Pr0menades
and the Oaks, and Market Square besides.
But there will be no loss. The increasing
valuation Of property in Market Square win
soon replace the paltry rent OF the Old City
Hall, and the income will come In the proper
way, by taxation. IL Is not the business OF
municipal corporation 10 rent buildings.
What our friends really think about the
prospects Of property In Market square, we
hnd Ii difficult 10 understand. In one place
they say that ''values are rising" there; in
another that the loss of the building will not
''be made up by the increased taxable valua-
tiOn OF surrounding property; This sounds
contradictory, but we hear that one OF the
signers Of the address, being an owner OF
property in Market square, has recently re-
fused 10 lease IL for term OF years, for the
express reason that he thought II the mon
ument should be placed there, the rent
would advance. There can be no doubt
about this gentleman's opinion, In which we
concur.
1t IS said that the city Is to demollsh the
building and grade the lot The material
will more than pay for taking the building
away. The city has not been asked TO grade
the lot. 1t Is said that the income Of the
building is to be taken away for an indeh-
mite period before funds are In hand 10 erect
the monument. That IS gross mistake.
The Monument Association Is ready 10 begin
at once, If thai seems best. and has $4,000
In the treasury and well-matured plans for
raising at once such additional funds as
shall be needed. 1t Is said that the way will
be opened TO attempts TO obtain means from
the city to build foundations and Enclosures.
No buCn dtttutpt HAS Dtth tuouENt uls
The only talk about aid from the city comes
from our friends, who say In this address
that they do not wish to be understood as
Obiecting to liberal contributions by the city
TO the monument" They say that any out
standing title to the lot must be quieted by
the city. Well, why not2 The lot belongs
to the city, and the city will have to main
tain its own title, whether the monument Is
placed there or not.
II is long list OF names which is signed to
the address-423 names OF gentlemen with
whom we regret to differ. But 423 Is not a
twentieth part Of the voters OF Portland. IL
Is only two-thirds Of the 654 citizens who
voted mo-" on this same question last
spring. The canvass for signatures was ur-
gent and thorough, and the result Is not sur
prising. The 4254 citizens who voted Yes"
last spring will be heard from on Monday.
Our friends say that the soldiers are not
unanimously in favor of the Market Square
site, and in proof Of this assertion point to
the names signed to their address. They e<e
right. Out Of the 400 soldiers living in
Portland, 10 have been found whose names
are identified In that list. This Is not
unanimity 1t is only 1891 to 10.
The truth is, that the Monument Ass0cia-
ti0n, the soldiers and the citizens Of Port
land generally have agreed upon this site
with remarkable unanimity. No such con-
centration Of opinion is to be expected In
favor Of any other site. The question has
been pending for two years, and 1t Is tim,
now w sotsio ~ hhdly. n NOte against th'
| site preferred by so many Of our people is {
vote TO reopen the whole question for fur
| ther discussion and delay-tO defer still
longer duty already postponed too long
We do confidently expect that the site 10
| which the Monument Association has pa
uently waited for two years, viii now be az
| corded to them; and we hope that the
| Jority will be so large as to leave no
any doubt concerning the choice
pie Of Portland in this matte
John Marshall b.
l NharIos w